discussion Neil's 1-35 Liberty Ship Diorama

[Neil Merryweather]

Well thanks everyone for the positive feedback, it really does help. I'm sorry for the long delay ,but it wasn’t only decorating and Christmas that got in the way; I needed a break from all the khaki so I went a bit Napoleonic for a while, but I'm back on track (for now...).
So Figure 2 of this batch, the guy leaning over the rail counting is ready for paint. However, on reflection I think the person doing this job would be from the Navy,so I’m going to think about where else to place him.
Here he is before the kit was added


And here he is primed and ready


And here’s his kit


So it’s back to the painting table for me, and let’s hope my goldfish brain can remember how to do it - and more importantly, what NOT to do!

 

[Jim R]

Your adding to and altering figures is excellent. Really makes them fit your dio and makes them "personal" to you.

 

[flyjoe180]

Another excellent figure in the making Neil.

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Thanks everyone, as always, for being interested enough to comment. It’s good to know this is not happening in a vacuum.
I’m pleased to announce that GI number 2 of the 3rd batch is painted, hurrah!
Here he is in my temporary 3D-printed base, but I can’t wait to see what they look like on the real thing. I will do that when I’ve finished the current batch of six - only four to go.



I’ve got to say I’m particularly pleased with my home-made life-preserver, which means unfortunately I’m going to have to make them for all the subsequent figures. But I am running out of torsos with them moulded on, so it was going to happen anyway.



He’s carrying a map case so I think he’d better have some officer insignia, but I will do all the decals at once so I don’t have to re-learn the process every time...

As I said before, I’m going to find another position for this guy because I think his job would be done by a sailor who wasn’t going to climb down the cargo net. There are many pictures of sailors helping the GIs over the rails, so I want represent that as well .
Thanks for following and figure no 3 will follow very soon.

 

[Steven000]

Lovely work Neil, well done

 

[Neil Merryweather]

Thanks Steven, glad you like him.
Well you didn’t have to wait too long for our next GI. Here he is with his kit unpainted.


I decided to add some variety in height so I deliberately made him quite short.
I have also decided not to use any more of these horrible Italeri arms!
I have been trying to find an easy way of creating the blanket roll they all seem to carry. The obvious way is MagicSculpt or Duro but my attempts have just not worked for me. I tried rolled up tissue paper which was better, but not great. This one is a slice of blue disposable glove which I think is very promising. It’s certainly easy to do, so let’s see how it looks under paint.




So there we have him. I do like the blanket roll painted up, so that’s the way forward for that.
I’ve definitely made the right decision to work on these guys individually, it’s prevented me from getting too slapdash. I’m going to crack on with the next one, but there’s some more household real-life stuff looming so it might not be so soon as I would like.
Cheers
N

 

[Steven000]

Another nice figure Neil, good thinking making different heights . That disposable glove trick worked out great - looking forward to the next one, cheers

 

[flyjoe180]

Brilliant figure painting Neil

 

[Neil Merryweather]

My apologies for the long gap between posts on this project, but there’s been a lot of distractions at Merryweather Towers to keep me from making any progress with it,unfortunately.
BUT....
One of those distractions has directly affected this project, namely the fact that I have had the loft hatch enlarged, so that I will now be able to bring the completed model OUT of the loft - eventually!
Even though I have been able to get to the bench, the distractions have been such that I have just spent my time preparing a backlog of figures from the grey army for painting.Then ,just when I was ready to paint, I discovered that my favourite Rosemary & Co brush had died, and I didn’t have anything else suitable, so I had to wait another few days for a replacement to arrive.
I know,excuses, excuses!
Anyway,I’m back in the saddle,at least for now, and long enough to paint the next two Gis from this third batch.
Here they are as I first roughed them out.





And here they are ready for paint

I was even able to find a 3D model of a zippo lighter that I could 3D print -
Don’t you just love the internet?

And here’s his buddy


And here they are painted and sort of ‘in situ’





Looking at the pics I realise I'm going to have to change that left hand holding the rifle.
So there’s just one more of this gang to go ,and after him I'm going to position all these boys in the model so that I can get on with the next stage of the model, which, now that I can actually contemplate getting the whole thing out of the loft will, I think, be the water and positioning of the Higgins Boat.
So thanks everyone for sticking with this, it’s been a long time already (over a year,not including the Higgins Boat) and it still feels like there’s a long way to go, but hopefully a new focus will provide a bit more momentum.
Cheers
Neil

 

[flyjoe180]

Wonderful work Neil.

 

[BattleshipBob]

Lovely work Neil!

 

[wotan]

Very nice figures Neil and great paint job on each of them.

John

 

[minitnkr]

Glad to see U back in the saddle.

 

[Jim R]

Great painting. Really impressed with your ability to alter the figures to fit the scene. Comparing the first photos to the last - amazing.